This invention relates to apparatus and methods for separating and removing bundles of stacked sheets from the discharge area of sheet stackers and sheet folding and stacking apparatus.
This invention is particularly applicable for use with interfolding of paper sheets in the formation of a stack of interfolded sheets; and the forming of discrete bundles, with each bundle having the same number of sheets.
The interfolding of sheets is well known. U.S. Pat. No. 2,761,677 to Rutkus et al. teaches a rotary interfolder, for forming a stack of interfolded sheets. Similarly U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,241 to Krueger teaches another apparatus for forming a stack of interfolded sheets. In the Rutkus patent the stack of sheets is fed to an elongated chute accumulator. The stack is eventually fed to a stack separating mechanism displaced some distance from the stack forming area which stack forming area is at the discharge of the interfolding apparatus. The Krueger patent teaches the use of an elevator to remove an exact number of C-folded sheets. While the elevator is removing the stack, an accumulator plate continues to accumulate additional sheets until the elevator returns. U.S. Pat. No. 2,675,747 to Greiner et al. teaches a vertically moving accumulator elevator. A cutting separator plate and pusher combination cuts the sheet bonds and pushes the bundle sideways off the conveyor.
It is an object of this invention to provide novel apparatus and processes for defining bundles of exact sheet count in the discharge area of stacking apparatus or apparatus having the dual capability of folding and stacking the sheets.
It is another object of the invention to provide apparatus which is capable of holding a plurality of bundles of stacked sheets, physically separated by a space, for delivery to a bundle discharge area, while the apparatus is continuing to receive sheets in the formation of an additional bundle.
It is a further object to provide rotational apparatus which is capable of receiving a stack of sheets, in formation of a bundle, and rotating the apparatus about an axis therein to deliver the bundle to a bundle discharge area.